Claims
- 1. An apparatus for satisfying the non-nutritive, oral-motor sucking needs of infants comprising:(a) a one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body of flexible, resilient, non-toxic, non-allergenic elastomeric material; (b) the outer surface of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body being soft, smooth, and non-porous, which resists the collection and retention of moisture, infectious material, and dirt; (c) said outer surface of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body further comprises a supple, scuff resistant and heat resistant material; (d) said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body further comprising a length which takes the form of a wand; (e) an infant's pacifier held near one end of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body; (f) said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body taking the form of a long, smooth, adorable toy animal; (g) a vertical slot extending completely through, from one side to the other side, of said long, smooth, adorable toy animal at its shoulder level, which allows the threading of a removable elongated, flat strap through said long, smooth adorable toy animal, said removable, elongated, flat strap forming a tab-flap pacifier holder when its ends are closed over said infant's pacifier; (h) whereby said apparatus further has minimal surfaces where infectious germs or viruses can be harbored; (i) whereby said apparatus does not easily become dirty or harbor infectious material in use, and whereby said apparatus is easily cleaned and disinfected by conventional cleaning apparatus and procedures when it does become dirty or infected; and (j) whereby said apparatus reinforces said infant's grasping skills, provides consistent perioral stimulation, and enhances said infant's ability to control and keep said pacifier in said infant's mouth for independent sucking.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said infant's pacifier is held at the chest level of said long, smooth, adorable toy animal;(a) the head and face of said long, smooth, adorable toy animal facing outwardly in the same direction as the nipple of said infant's pacifier; (b) said head and face being fully above said chest level of said long, smooth, adorable toy animal; (c) said head and face being laterally offset from the plane of said infant's pacifier, whereby said head and face will not interfere with the breathing of said infants when said apparatus is in use.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body is comprised of molded material.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body is comprised of hollow molded material.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body is comprised of solid molded material.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body is comprised of molded foam material.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said removable, elongated, flat strap which forms said tab-flap pacifier holder is threaded through, and is held securely, by said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body;(a) wherein said removable, elongated, flat strap which forms said pacifier holder further comprises an elongated, flat, flexible strap with enlarged holes at both ends of such a diameter that the nipple of said infant's pacifier passes freely therethrough; (b) wherein said removable, elongated, flat strap further includes an overlapping fastener which holds said pacifier in place.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said overlapping fastener further comprises portions of densely woven hooks and portions of densely woven loops, which when pressed together firmly close said fastener.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said portions of densely woven hooks and said portions of said densely woven loops do not impinge upon the area around said enlarged holes when said fastener is closed, wherein said infant's pacifier, with a small nipple extension, is accommodated with minimal interference with said small nipple extension.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said portions of densely woven hooks and said portions of densely woven loops mate with each other when said tab-flap fastener is closed about the nipple of said pacifier, but are situated laterally to the sides of said nipple, whereby the area around said nipple is free of said portions of said densely woven loops and said portions of densely woven hooks.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the portion of said removable, elongated, flat strap which is threaded through said vertical slot in said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body is notched, to resiliently but securely hold said removable, elongated, flat strap within said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body;(a) wherein said elongated flat strap is also formed of strong, resilient, non-toxic material; (b) wherein said portions of tightly woven hooks and said portions of tightly woven loops forming the fastener elements are strongly adhered to the surfaces of said elongated flat strap; and (c) wherein elongated flat strap is resiliently but securely held within said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body such that it is removable by an adult, but not by said infants.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, rather than being notched, the elongated flat strap is formed somewhat larger than said vertical slot, such that it is frictionally, but still resiliently and securely held, within said vertical slot.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said removable, elongated, flat strap which forms said pacifier holder is alternatively, securely attached to the back of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body, rather than being threaded through said vertical slot; and wherein said enlarged hole for allowing said nipple of said infant's pacifier to pass through is located at near the middle of said elongated, flat strap, whereby the area around said nipple extension is free of fastener elements.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ends of said elongated flat strap are fastened together by overlapping fastening elements located at the ends of said elongated flat strap, and wherein said elongated flat strap is removably attached to the back of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body by a further overlapping fastening device.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said fastening elements are alternatively located at a different location, such as one of the sides, of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said infant's pacifier which may have a concave annular flange or shield with winglike concave extensions, is held by a modified elongated, flat strap pacifier holder with laterally displaced openings from either side of said enlarged opening for said nipple extension, wherein said winglike concave projections of said concave annular flange pass through said laterally displaced openings of said modified, elongated, flat strap pacifier holder whereby said modified, elongated, flat strap pacifier holder does not interfere with said nipple extension.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said infant's pacifier is alternatively held by molding said infant's pacifier nipple as part of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body, rather than using said removable, elongated, flat strap as said pacifier holder.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein infant's pacifier may include an annular flange or shield which is also molded as part of said one-piece, generally cylindrical, elongated body.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/436,643, filed Nov. 9, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,501.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/436643 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/909821 |
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US |